Opinion: I’m burying the hatchet with Ol’ Roy

Today, I'm going to steal a page from Bruce Weber's play book and host a funeral. Not a typical funeral, mind you, but a burial nonetheless.

Earlier this season, Weber, the first-year coach at the University of Illinois, hosted his own mock funeral with his players when they decided to forget former Illini coach and current Kansas boss Bill Self.

Anyone who has read this column within the past year (to those six people, please know that I really appreciate it) knows that, dad gummitt, I just despise Roy Williams.

As a general rule of thumb, I chose to throw a verbal jab Droopy Dog's way at least once a month (and there were many, many months when I more than filled my quota).

However, that ends today. Mark it down -- Thursday, April 1, the year of our Lord 2004, is the day I sent Roy to polish the brass on the Titanic.

In my mind, he's worm food, he's pushing up daisies.

He's a Tar Heel born, a Tar Heel bred, and now, at least in my own tiny brain, a Tar Heel dead.

I'm done thinking about him spurning the Jayhawks like a prom date who cancels at the last minute (oh, the anguish!).

I'm finished rooting for a North Carolina loss with the same passion as an 80-to-1 underdog at the racetrack to win (he really did look fast, though).

Send the priest home, close the casket and shovel the dirt.

By the way, I'm lying. It's April Fool's Day, suckers. There isn't any way I'm giving up one of my favorite pastimes, Roy-bashing.

It's too much fun and I get as much pleasure from his teams failing as the kid from fat camp gets from sneaking Twinkies into the dormitory. Plus, it's a game people of all ages can play.

So, warm up the corpse because basketball season is only eight months away.

Notes:

Although I won't stop condemning Roy, I will say this, I'm won over by Bill Self. There were some uneasy moments for me in Self's first season like losses to Richmond and Nevada, and woodshed beatings at Oklahoma State and Nebraska.

But after listening to him in interviews, seeing him win over Roy's recruits and sign a new crop this year and watching the Jayhawks late-season surge, Self has finally convinced me that he's the man for the job.

Anyone who says KU wasn't a Final Four caliber team this year is insane and needs to be committed.

First, any team that makes the tournament is Final Four caliber because of parity. Second, Kansas took Georgia Tech to overtime in the Elite Eight. If a team goes that far, they're worthy enough.

Someone asked me the other day if I was rooting for Quinn Snyder to be fired. My response is why would I want him canned? He rarely beats Kansas (3 losses this year, 2 out of 3 last year) and has never beaten a team coached by Bill Self.

As a bonus, he signs players like Ricky Clemons and Missouri is always in hot water with the NCAA. And watching those dramas unfold makes for solid entertainment.

I want Quinn to stay exactly where he is. Heck, I'll even chip in for an extension.